וַיִּקְרָ֨א אַבְנֵ֜ר אֶל־יוֹאָ֗ב וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הֲלָנֶ֙צַח֙ תֹּ֣אכַל חֶ֔רֶב הֲל֣וֹא יָדַ֔עְתָּה כִּֽי־מָרָ֥ה תִהְיֶ֖ה בָּאַחֲרוֹנָ֑ה וְעַד־מָתַי֙ לֹֽא־תֹאמַ֣ר לָעָ֔ם לָשׁ֖וּב מֵאַחֲרֵ֥י אֲחֵיהֶֽם׃
E Abner gridò a Ioab e disse: «Dovrà la spada divorare per sempre? Non sai che alla fine sarà amarezza? Fino a quando non dirai al popolo di smettere d'inseguire i loro fratelli?»
Guide for the Perplexed
The consideration of the first process led to the figurative use of the verb in the sense of “consuming,” “destroying”; hence it includes all modes of depriving a thing of its form comp. “And the land of your enemies shall destroy (lit. eat) you” (Lev. 26:38); “A land that destroyeth (lit. eateth) the inhabitants thereof” (Num. 13:32); “Ye shall be destroyed (lit. eaten) with the sword” (Isa. 1:6); “Shall the sword destroy (lit. eat)” (2 Sam. 2:26); “And the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and destroyed (lit. ate) them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp” (Num. 11:1); “(God) is a destroying (lit. eating) fire” (Deut. 4:24), that is, He destroys those who rebel against Him, as the fire destroys everything that comes within its reach. Instances of this kind are very frequent.